Pope Urges International Leaders to Proceed With Prudence Regarding Jerusalem

Papal appeal comes shortly after news came out that President Trump would be recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Elise Harris/CNA/EWTN News

VATICAN CITY — With debate on the status of Jerusalem heating up in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognize the city as the capital of Israel, with a planned speech Wednesday, Pope Francis has urged international leaders to proceed with prudence and respect for current U.N. resolutions.

“My thought now goes to Jerusalem. In this regard, I cannot ignore my deep concern for the situation that has been created in recent days,” the Pope said Dec. 6.

He issued a “heartfelt appeal” to the international community to ensure that “everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.”

The position of the U.N. on the Jerusalem issue is that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory and that the city should eventually become the capital of the two states of Israel and Palestine.

Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall during his weekly general audience, during which he recounted the phases of his recent Nov. 27-Dec. 2 trip to Burma, also called Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

His appeal for Jerusalem comes shortly after news came out that President Trump would be recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a widely controversial decision that has provoked a mixed reaction from the international community.

As part of the plan, the Trump administration is expected to eventually move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and while Israel welcomes the changes, both Palestinians and Arab leaders have voiced concern that the move could jeopardize the peace process in the Middle East, according to the BBC.

Israel has traditionally always recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; however, Palestinians claim that the eastern portion of the city is the capital of the future Palestinian state. In recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the U.S. would be the first country to do so since the state was established in 1948.

Debate on the issue is in many ways the crux of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which is backed by Arab leaders, including Saudi Arabia, and the wider Islamic world.

According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian Peace Accords, the final status of Jerusalem will be discussed in the late stages of the talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognized by the international community, and all countries have embassies in Tel Aviv.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, then, is likely to increase tension on the issue, particularly in regards to the 200,000-some settlements Israel has built in East Jerusalem, which are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this stance.

In his general audience, Pope Francis noted how Jerusalem is a “unique city” that is considered holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Because of this, he said the city has “a special vocation for peace.”

“I ask the Lord that this identity be preserved and reinforced for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to avoid adding new elements of tension in a global panorama already convulsed and marked by so many cruel conflicts,” he said.

Prior to his general audience, the Pope met with a Palestinian delegation of religious and intellectual leaders for a scheduled audience, urging dialogue that is respectful of everyone’s rights in the Holy Land. He also voiced his hope that “peace and prosperity” would prevail for the Palestinian people.

On his trip to Burma and Bangladesh, Francis said it was “a great gift from God” and thanked the civil authorities and bishops of each country for their welcome and for everything they did to prepare for the trip.

He noted how his Nov. 27-30 visit to Burma marked the first time a pope has ever traveled to the country, which took place just months after the Holy See established full diplomatic relations with the nation in May.

“I wanted, also in this case, to express the closeness of Christ and of the Church to a people that has suffered due to conflict and repression and which now is slowly walking toward a new condition of freedom and peace,” he said.

Burma, a majority-Buddhist country where minorities, including Christians, often face stigma and discrimination, is still working to transition to a democratic government after more than 50 years of military rule, while also facing harsh criticism from the international community over what the United Nations has called a “textbook case of ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims from the country’s Rakhine state.

In this context, Christians there are the “leaven of God,” he said, and he called the Church in Burma a “living and fervent” community that he had the joy of meeting and affirming in faith and communion.

Similarly, he said his Nov. 30-Dec. 2 visit to Bangladesh was equally important and focused largely on the need for “respect and dialogue” between Christianity and Islam, as the country is a majority-Muslim nation with a small Catholic community.

Religious freedom was a major theme, as reflected in each of his meetings, he said, and underlined the importance of “openness of the heart as the basis for the culture of encounter, harmony and peace.”

On 24 October 1948, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical, called “In multiplicibus curis” which established the Catholic Church’s position on this matter. Every Pope since Pius has re-affirmed it.

I would note the Holy See embassy to Israel is in Tel Aviv while the Holy See embassy to the State of Palestine is in Jerusalem.

Posted by Peter Aiello on Thursday, Dec, 14, 2017 7:09 AM (EDT):

Theresa H: Trump is the one who is recognizing that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The pope is dismayed at this. Jerusalem will eventually be a fully international city, but I believe that it will always remain the capital of Israel. I don’t see how you will be able to separate Jerusalem from Israel. “And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain” (Zechariah 14:17).

Posted by GCD on Wednesday, Dec, 13, 2017 8:29 PM (EDT):

Theresa H, “And does anyone know WHY Pope Francis is now saying that Jerusalem should be the Capitol of Israel?”

He hasn’t. It would be such a different world if people had an idea of what they were talking about before they did.

Posted by Theresa H on Wednesday, Dec, 13, 2017 1:01 PM (EDT):

Where do we find that “The Catholic Church has consistently and firmly maintained since 1948 that Jerusalem should belong to no nation.”??? (I am NOT necessarily doubting, I would just like to KNOW where we can find that info.) And does anyone know WHY Pope Francis is now saying that Jerusalem should be the Capitol of Israel? ....As for the Catholic Church, Palestine always has and always will be called “The HOLY LAND” because JESUS was born in Judea, in the City of David (Bethlehem), and preached throughout the country. And isn’t Jerusalem also considered the HOLY CITY by Catholics (and Protestants?), as well as Jews—-though for different reasons?

Posted by Hanson on Wednesday, Dec, 13, 2017 8:13 AM (EDT):

Lyle said “Israel should be between God and the people who live in Israel.”

But it is not. Do you really think it’s that easy? The only reason for government to exist is to protect the poor from the rich? Do you think that is that easy too?

Posted by Kurt on Wednesday, Dec, 13, 2017 8:01 AM (EDT):

@Peter, the Christians of Jerusalem and the Catholic Church take a different view. Your argument is with them, not me. I simply stand with the Catholic Church and the Christians of Jerusalem.

Posted by lyle on Tuesday, Dec, 12, 2017 1:24 PM (EDT):

Israel should be between God and the people who live in Israel.
The USA should stop sending all aid to Israel, and start taking care of its own people in the USA.
The only reason to a governments existence, the reason for government is to protect the poor from the Rich. Yet the USA has sent the MOST aid to Israel over the last decades, one of the richest nations today. Yet next to NO aid to Haiti, Mexico, or numerous countries in need of humanitarian aid in AMERICA, including the USA..

In reality the USA does very little for its own People, but sends billions to the richest nations as Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Posted by Peter Aiello on Tuesday, Dec, 12, 2017 3:44 AM (EDT):

Kurt: Jerusalem never materialized as an international city because of war with the Arabs in 1947/1948 when it was divided between Israel and Jordan. It is now all under Israel and is its capital because of war with the Arabs. I don’t see Jerusalem as ever being politically separated from Israel. Trump recognized reality and wants to get on with things. There is more freedom for all religions now that it is part of Israel.

Posted by Kurt on Monday, Dec, 11, 2017 4:45 PM (EDT):

Theresa—- The Catholic Church has NEVER recognized Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. The Catholic Church believes it should not be ruled by one nation nor one religion, particularly given its importance to Christianity. All of the Christian leaders of Jerusalem agree with the Catholic Church. Trump has moved against the Christians of the land Jesus walked.

Posted by Theresa H on Monday, Dec, 11, 2017 3:13 PM (EDT):

I don’t understand this business about JERUSALEM….Hasn’t the CITY of Jerusalem been part of Palestine—which is in Israel, which is a Country in what’s called “the Middle East?” Do some people want JERUSALEM to be named a “Country”? ....And if so, WHY?

Posted by Jimmy J on Monday, Dec, 11, 2017 12:51 PM (EDT):

Ranch Hand, we do have climate change and it is man made, because of our sins. This is why the great flood. Perhaps if we wiped out Islam and homosexuality we’d reverse the effect.

Posted by Kurt on Monday, Dec, 11, 2017 7:54 AM (EDT):

The Catholic Church has consistently and firmly maintained since 1948 that Jerusalem should belong to no nation (as have all of the Christian leaders of Jerusalem). What is sad that so many right wing Catholic never spoke a word of objection to the Church’s position until Donald Trump ordered them to attack Pope Francis on this issue. I think these Catholics have no particularly view on Jerusalem. They just are willing to attack Pope Francis when ordered to by Trump. Republicans first and Catholic less than first.

Posted by Ranch Hand on Sunday, Dec, 10, 2017 10:16 PM (EDT):

Why does the Holy See and Pope Francis have such reverence for a corrupt, anti-Christian, organization such as the United Nations that advocates for intrinsic evils such as abortion, sodomy, contraception, euthanasia, and Islam? Is it because the UN promotes the hoax referred to as Man-made Climate Change?

Posted by Michael Siddle on Saturday, Dec, 9, 2017 6:40 PM (EDT):

I wish Pope Francis would read the Quran, Hadith and Life of Muhammad and study 1,400 years of Islamic violence. Maybe then he would see why he is losing all credibility with anything he says.

Posted by Kurt on Saturday, Dec, 9, 2017 11:31 AM (EDT):

The Holy Father has every right to be involved in world affairs, and this as long been a part of the Pope’s ministry—to bring peace and justice to the world. The Catholic Church has been firm and consistent since the State of Israel came into being in 1948 that the Holy City of Jerusalem should belong to no nation. And yesterday all of the Christian leaders of Jerusalem issued a letter supporting the Catholic Church’s position on this.

Trump is very much opposed to the Catholic Church on this issue.

Now just because a man is a p-grabber doesn’t mean he is wrong on an unrelated issue and every Pope from Pius XII to today is right. But for me, I am siding with Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.

Posted by Robert Fischer on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 7:17 PM (EDT):

To Kurt, regarding your latest post, “Without a doubt, not even close to being Catholic” (about President Trump). With all due respect, if anyone fairly evaluates President Trump’s actions since becoming President, to include appointing pro-life Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court and making many other pro-life nominees as federal judges, supporting freedom of religious speech and faith-based actions under the 1st amendment to the Constitution, and ending IRS and other federal agency persecutions of Catholics around the U.S., I’d say that President Trump, who professes to be Presbyterian, has been a very good friend to U.S. Catholics. However, you, as our resident never-Trump troll, seem unable to evaluate anything President Trump does fairly. Instead, you continue to post the same Democrat talking points anti-Trump comments over and over and over and over again on every NCR blog you visit.

Posted by C-Marie on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 7:04 PM (EDT):

Actually, the Pope is the Head of the Vatican State which is a country and he holds the position the same as President, so he does validly as Head of State enter into international affairs.
President Trump’s wife, Melania, is Catholic.
And I am so glad for the official declaration, which our Congress bipartisanly voted for, that Jerusalem is the Capitol of Israel, fully recognized by the United States.
God bless, and Come Lord Jesus!! C-Marie

Posted by Kurt on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 4:47 PM (EDT):

jbg writes: Trump is not Catholic.

Without a doubt, not even close to being Catholic as he takes an anti-Catholic position on Jerusalem.

Posted by Bobby on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 1:37 PM (EDT):

How I wish the present Pope had been a student of history and had time to read the Holy Bible. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict would never have sided with the anti-Christ. They are sadly missed at such times.

Posted by James on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 1:16 PM (EDT):

This man appears to have no awareness that the people who abide him are the mess he promotes and those who are wise to him endure him as an ecclesiastical penance rendered without mercy.
That he has the temerity to step into international relations beyond the borders from which he emerged is mind numbing. As I recall he flew from those environs kissing a hammer and sickle crucifix. Would a return one way be too much for which to hope?

Posted by jbg on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 12:31 PM (EDT):

@Kurt…..I’ll give you the same answer you liberals told us when faithful Catholics questioned liberals within the Church why you would support Obama and his pro abortion policies that go against the teachings of Jesus. I think we were told well Obama is not Catholic so we can’t expect him to listen to the Pope on these issues. Well…..Trump is not Catholic.

Posted by Norm on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 11:26 AM (EDT):

I wish Pope Francis would read these comments so he would know the right thing to do.

Posted by Baseballmom on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 1:47 AM (EDT):

Two thoughts: 1. Why does this man always side with the muslims? 2. Why does he feel compelled to insert himself in every political issue? Unfortunately, he is now seen as just another political hack who happens to usually side with socialists and marxists. Very sad.

Posted by Barbara on Friday, Dec, 8, 2017 12:36 AM (EDT):

The Pope and the Vatican is as anti-semitic as the Pope and the Vatican have always been. They look out for their own property interests more than they ever looked out for what is right or wrong. The only time in history that the Holy Sites of Jerusalem have been protected and available to everyone of all religions to visit and pray is under Israeli control. When Jerusalem was controlled by the Christians, Jews and Muslims were barred. Many times under control of the Muslims, it has been plundered and destroyed and Christians and Jews were barred. The Pope should keep his nose out of it! And hob-knobbing with the Iranians? Really? They will destroy the world to bring the return of the 7th Imam. Your churches and all Christians will burn with the rest of us!

Posted by lyle on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 10:36 PM (EDT):

Jesus created, brought forth, a New Covenant with and for ALL People in the Universal Catholic Church.
The Jewish people then, and now, rejected the New Covenant that Jesus brought forth by the Universal Church, or the Catholic Church.
The Ark of Covenant has no relevance, none replaced by Jesus, the Holy Sacrific of the Mass. Jesus was, is the promised Messiah. These facts recognize,their is NO reason for the existence of a chunk of land as Israel today. A chunk of land attained by the slaughter, extermination of those that occupied it, taken by murder of those that were not Jewish, which continues today.
The Universal Catholic church is not of this world, it is of the kingdom of God, and God only, nothing, none of this World.

Posted by Bea Zienkosky on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 8:42 PM (EDT):

I am definitely pro Israel. I know that it will be a part of the end times to have this happen. I follow the news of the Israelis as often as I can. I love that country and as I said, In ‘98 it was prohibited by the Palestinians that tours go anywhere near the Mosque. I know that it was very dangerous at that time to try to do that. I disagree with the comment made earlier that President trump is hostile to the Catholic Church. He has a Catholic Vice President for goodness sake. How can anyone say that? He was not exactly treated well when he went to Rome. So, who is hostile? Anyway, that isn’t the point. The point is, that we need to pray for our President and our Pope. People are not always perfect. Could we do any better than they? I believe all that is happening is supposed to happen. God is in control, not the President, the Pope or the Palestinians. Thank, God

Posted by Kurt on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 6:05 PM (EDT):

Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and now gloriously reigning Pope Francis, Vicar of Christ, Universal Pastor, Pontifex Maximus and Servant of the Servants of God have all proclaimed that the Holy City of Jerusalem should belong to no nation nor religion but be internationalized. This speaks the Popes. Thus speaks the Church. Amen and God bless. Trump spits on the Popes.

Posted by GCD on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 4:20 PM (EDT):

Eddie Mills, unlike much of his flock, Pope Francis recognizes that there are other religions in the world. He also respects their spiritual needs. The world has more than heterosexual Catholics in it and they need to live too.

Posted by jbg on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 4:20 PM (EDT):

Yes lets look to the UN for guidance…..the same UN that is pro abortion.

Posted by C-Marie on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 3:30 PM (EDT):

And read the Old Testament concerning the end times. Read the New Testament. Read what Jesus Himself said about the end times. Read what Jesus said about the fact that He did not come to bring peace as the world can give, but peace with God. Pope Francis would do far better evangelizing those who belong to Islam. The world peace coming, for come it will, is the antichrist in person, acclaimed by the world at that time for the peace brought but at great cost of persecution of Christians. Every day draw close to God our Father, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit. God will bring you through in every way. God bless, C-Marie

The US Congress voted to do this back in the 90’s. I would say they have exercised enough “caution” on this. If the PA gets control of the Holy Land, we Christians and Jews will never see it again. With the Jews controlling it, there is no problem. I sometimes think that the West would like the PA to control it so that people from the Western Judeo-Christian culture, or at least our children, will forget about it. It will be banned to us, possibly Holy sites destroyed, and obliterated in the minds of our young.
No one should be telling the US where to put its embassy, and no one should be telling the Israelis where their capital is, especially since, if we’re being honest, we know where it really belongs.

Posted by pla on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 2:04 PM (EDT):

It is time for us to remove our tails between our legs and stand in a fully upright position.
We need to stop protecting and putting our comfortable lives and material possessions ahead of truth and stand up for our Almighty God. We need to stop worrying about offending in spreading truth and be counted as truth speakers. At this point and for the last 50 plus years we have been moving towards a new world religion the religion with a socialist
agenda. We have all been tricked from the lowest to the elite in government and the church.
Bishop Sheen was correct in predicting this.

Posted by GCD on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 1:24 PM (EDT):

This is the President of the United States of America who the people elected. He may be destabilizing the two most volatile regions of the world, even provoking a nuclear war, but he just might appoint a judge that says he’s pro-life but instead fight for assault weapons. It’s all about morals.
But yes, Tom Dewey, MD, we need to clarify annulments rather than point out how our president is inflaming already violent countries.

Posted by pla on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 12:39 PM (EDT):

What is the need for prudence! Did God speak to his chosen people and teach them the need for “prudence” against their enemys. I believe the time has come for the Jews to make Israel entirely their own like God had intended it. If it takes a battle than so be it.
The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. “They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways"Deuteronomy 28:7.
Any other religion other than Judeo-Christian is counterfeit and invalid.
Ecumenical inter-religious dialogue has become the “New World Religion”. We must stop with this thinking.

Posted by mark on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 12:36 PM (EDT):

It appears every nation in the world with the exception of Israel has a right to locate its capital where it wants. Our government has on many occasions supported this right and a 1995 law requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Previous presidents and both parties have never sought its elimination, but delayed its implementation with the idea of securing a Peace settlement through talks.
However, the ten or more years of the status quo has seen that Palestinians uninterested in Peace talks even when President Obama was in Office.
In addition to Pope Francis calling for the status quo denying Israel the right to locate its capital until UN approval, he stated that Middle Peace talks, even under President Obama, should start negotiations by having Israel concede its territory to that of the pre-1967 borders. Yet, prior to such talks Pope Francis apparently seemed silent in condemning the Palestinians’ denial of the right of Israel to even exist.
The Pope is correct—-prudence is crucial.
Let us pray that Pope Francis acts in a prudential manner.

For the sake of my brothers and my friends
I will say “peace be within you”
For the sake of the Lord our God
I will seek your blessing

And I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go unto the House of The Lord”
Our feet shall stand within your gates,
O Jerusalem

And I will pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for the peace of Jerusalem
Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim, Yishlayu ohavayich
He will prosper those who love her

Jerusalem the Holy City,
Where God’s people live together
There the Thrones of righteousness shall be set up,
The throne of the House of David

Posted by pla on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 12:06 PM (EDT):

It is impossible to create peace in the Middle East until the return of Our Lord.
Jerusalem belongs to Israel. Jerusalem is their capital because they desire it as does God Almighty. The complication is being created by outside forces and “modern” thinking.
There will only be peace in the area when all bow to our King and Messiah Jesus of Nazareth.
They will never live in harmony until then. All is leading to the return of our Lord.
Things are speeding up to a level never seen before. I believe the return of our Lord is sooner than we think. Modern thinking teaches that we can live in harmony with people of unlike religions, creeds, beliefs, no beliefs, perversions, etc. and somehow this will make the world a better place kinda like a John Lennon song for the socialist.
This will NEVER make the world better because it goes against nature itself and is impossible. I Believe we must respect each other and yes live in peace as much as possible but God created things a certain way and He changeth not. He made it VERY clear what he expects. It would be like living in Sodom and Gomorrah today, and teaching that we must submit and live in harmony with our neighbors and all will be fine as we are on the path to peace. That would be fooling ourselves wouldn’t it. How is our world any different now. We have become worst than Sodom and Gomorrah.
God Bless Israel land of the Jews. Come oh Lord quickly!!!

Posted by Donald Link on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 11:44 AM (EDT):

Kurt: The last city to have international status was Danzig and we saw how well that worked out. Don

Posted by Eddy Mills on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 10:58 AM (EDT):

The Pope is the Head of the Catholic Church ! In the year 33 Christ Himself established Catholicism = THE Catholic Church = HIS Church = The ONLY Church !
Why indeed is the Pope at all recognizing any other so called “religion”?

Posted by Diana on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 9:52 AM (EDT):

What the UN says is not golden. They often create more problems than they can fix. President Trump is keeping a promise that the past 3 presidents have broken.

Posted by Ranger01 on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 9:28 AM (EDT):

Always sides with islam. Always.

Posted by Terry on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 8:26 AM (EDT):

God’s Truth march’s on!

Posted by Jim on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 8:17 AM (EDT):

The Holy Father needs to keep his nose out of this. The Arabs have had a deal to share the City long before 1993, it was in 1948 by a UN resolution and they have refused. So after 70 years people have moved on. The bottom line is the Arabs don’t want peace, they want the end of Israel.

Posted by Kurt on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 7:39 AM (EDT):

It is very sad that President Trump has ignored the pleas of the Holy Father on this issue. Since Pius XII it has been the firm position of the Catholic Church that Jerusalem should have international status. Trump has a profound hostility to the Catholic Church.

Posted by Peter Aiello on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 6:38 AM (EDT):

Now that it’s done, we can all pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

Posted by Paul on Thursday, Dec, 7, 2017 1:22 AM (EDT):

“Israel has traditionally always recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital’... this was after they won the war that Palestinians initiated. Israel took over the whole city of Jerusalem in 1967. In 1995 USA Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, by no other than Clinton. The act’s purpose was to initiate and finance the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem no later than 1999.However, Presidents since then decided to delay the embassy move by signing a waiver every 6 months with hopes to affect the peace process. However, after 20+ years, this hold did not move the peace process at all, so President Trump has decided to act on the “Act”. as for history, The Old Testament describes in 2 Samuel 5 how King David conquered the city and made it his capital, over 3000 years ago. It later describes in 1 Kings 8 how David’s son, King Solomon, built the Holy Temple and installed the Ark of the Covenant there.

Posted by MR on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 11:06 PM (EDT):

I wish the Pope would take his own advice and “proceed with prudence” regarding the Church.

Posted by Carolyn on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 10:22 PM (EDT):

More thinking outside the box. Our Senators and Representatives are in their jobs to further their financial interests. How many enter as middle class and leave as millionaires? Congress voted for this very same outcome in 1995, to be implemented in 1999, only to be punted down the field every 6 months since. They and the State Department obviously have no sincere desire to effect positive change in the world.

Posted by Tom Dewy MD on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 8:54 PM (EDT):

It is interesting that the Pope readily speaks out on all these political matters but refuses to address the questions sent to him by the Cardinals regarding the reception of of communion by legally married couples, etc. who have NOT received annulments. It would be interesting to see what was done for the decade in Argentina prior to the present Pope becoming Pope. What was done in Argentina in regard to these couples receiving communion while being in a marriage that was preceded by a marriage that was NOT annulled in the usual manner per Rome. it at least appears that there is a significant amount of confusion, why doesn’t the Pope clarify things?? Why not????

Posted by Robert Fischer on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 5:22 PM (EDT):

Interesting that Pope Francis calls on nations to “respect the status quo” in Jerusalem, while calling conservative Catholics “rigid” if they oppose his efforts to destroy the moral status quo in the Catholic Church. If I had to guess which sacred scripture books Pope Francis reads these days based on his recent politically-oriented statements, I’d guess the Quran first, the new Testament second, and the Old Testament not at all. I wonder if he has already ripped the Old Testament (that describes Jerusalem as the Holy City of the Jewish people since before 1000 BC) out of his personal Bible?

Posted by dr gene on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 5:15 PM (EDT):

Pope Francis is so predictable. The fashionable left is pro-Palestinian, and Francis always goes with the fashionable left.

Posted by C-Marie on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 3:48 PM (EDT):

From the article: “In his general audience, Pope Francis noted how Jerusalem is a “unique city” that is considered holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Because of this, he said the city has “a special vocation for peace.”

“I ask the Lord that this identity be preserved and reinforced for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to avoid adding new elements of tension in a global panorama already convulsed and marked by so many cruel conflicts,” he said.”

Thinking that God would rather have all be believers in His Son Jesus Christ. God bless, C-Marie

Posted by Donald Link on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 1:47 PM (EDT):

With respect to Pope Francis, other than a generalized desire for peace, we do not have a horse in that race. For seven decades, the Arabs have resisted, mostly violently, the opportunity on at least five occasions the offer to establish a Palestinian state that would give them over 90% of what they wanted. This is huge concession in terms of negotiation considering they lost three wars and decades of terroristic actions against Israel. With no other country do we tell where to locate their capitol but for some reason feel necessary to tell Israel they can not locate in their own historic location. The Arabs are also free to locate their capitol in East Jerusalem should they ever agree to a peace treaty. As usual, Christian Arabs are caught in the middle and almost 70% of those previously living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank have already left. Had the West and especially the UN, spent as much time convincing the Arabs to genuinely seek a road to peace as they did with their periodic condemnations of Israel, the Arabs would already have their Palestinian state.

Posted by Bea Zienkosky on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 1:26 PM (EDT):

If we do what President Trump is wanting to do, would that cause a war to erupt between Israel and the Palestinians? I know when I was there in “98 it was a little “dicey” regarding the Mosque. If this is done, wouldn’t it place the Mosque, which the Palestinians claim for their own territory, at least I think they do, wouldn’t it put it in the charge of the Israel Government? If anyone knows, please respond. I worry that there will be a bloody war over this even though I definitely understand how the Israelis feel about this. Beatrice

Posted by Alfonso on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 1:13 PM (EDT):

So Palistinian leaders are saying that moving the embassy will damage the peace process. By damage they mean that there ‘might be terrorist attacks’ *wink wink*. Wouldn’t that be the Palestinians that are damaging the peace process? Also, isn’t the UN working with them to bring peace? Why does the location of the US Embassy matter so much to them? Also, why does this pontiff feel the need to weigh in on this matter? He hasn’t done anything to attempt to foster peace there himself even though Catholics have been under fire in that region as of late. What gives, Francis?

Posted by James on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 12:53 PM (EDT):

This individual would do best to confine his interventions to his own house without diving into international relations – where he has proved himself as malfeasant as he is in ecclesiastical and theological matters.

Posted by Wendy Gardner on Wednesday, Dec, 6, 2017 12:51 PM (EDT):

He issued a “heartfelt appeal” to the international community to ensure that “everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.”
Makes me wonder how many of the other stupid, dangerous anti-Israel resolutions of the UN my Pope agrees with.
If the Palestinians get total control of the area, we will never see the Holy Lands again. Only Muslims will be allowed in, as they have done in other places, and this will be considered a huge victory over the “infidels”. None of this would be a problem with Jewish control. I think some of the Western nations are fine with Christians and Jews being banned from the Holy Land because it will make future generations forget our Judeo-Christian heritage. That is a big part of their agenda.

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